The Varsity Athletics competition gets underway soon and Stellenbosch local Competition Director Mohamed Ally believes it will be the ‘most exciting thing’ in South African athletics.
South African athletics has fallen off the international grid and it is important that an event like this increases awareness as well as competition amongst our young athletes.
Ally told varsitysportssa.com: “Varsity Athletics will be more exciting than the SA Champs.”
A comment like that from one of the local Competition Directors is huge and bodes incredibly well for the competition ahead.
The opportunities for the people of Stellenbosch are endless with a competition like this as people will be able to get involved in volunteer work and other spin-offs of the competition.
South Africa has never had an athletics competition of this nature – “with the same razzmatazz,” as Ally puts it.
This means that with the backing of massive sponsors like FNB and Wimpy the competition has the opportunity to create a national universities athletics culture.
Ally mentioned that the sophistication of the events around the country: “encourage a higher level of thinking,” when it comes to athletics and how it is seen in South Africa.
The professional approach taken by the organisers, the officials and the athletes are going to give “a Diamond League meeting” feel to the events.
“Many of the younger people watching will want to run, jump or throw in events like this because of what they are seeing,” Ally added.
That can only be encouraging for South African athletics.
At the Stellenbosch meeting, a number of South Africa’s paralympians will also be present to help with medal presentation.
